WoW AdrianD, WTH, did you even look at what i posted 2+ hrs before you. glad to see we had the same idea though!

I somehow managed to see the picture of the DAC; I apologise.

no problem buddy, just yankin' your chain! i'm in my office listening to music with that amp & DAC right now....NICE!

Thanks for all the ideas!

I think I'll go with this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005F5U86G/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A2LM6ZPY06LT1N

Sounds perfect for an always-on desktop amp with its tiny footprint, cool running, and low power consumption.

From what I can tell, the sound quality should be excellent, as with any well designed modern amp, and power should be more than sufficient for the small space and intended use.

I'm hesitant to go with one of much cheaper (too cheap?) digital amps using the same chip, and anything bigger would be overkill.

I'll report back once I have it in service.

Excellent choice. I look forward to reading your ongoing experiences.

Bill, I looked at the Amazon link, and in my view the comments from the reviewer who'd actually compared it with the Lepai easily won the argument.

John,

I just bought the Lepai. Should be more than adequate for a basement shop system. As long as I don't try to compete with the saws.

Ooh, shiny.

That's what I thought, too.

Just a quick report on the Topping after setting it up.

It sounds absolutely fantastic. Other than the low power output (not an issue in my small space), I can't subjectively discern any sonic compromise with this tiny unit.

Even without a sub, the Topping + M3's sitting on my desk sound just great fed by my Mac. I suspect I'm getting some good bass reinforcement from the wall right behind the M3's. I'm sure a small sub would help, but I'm not feeling the lack at the moment for this kind of listening.

The unit seems to have excellent build quality. Very simple, no controls other than power on and volume.

Absurdly cool running. Perfect for an always-on desktop system (provides all sound from the Mac).

It's seems preternatural to get such great sound from such a ridiculously tiny and simple device.

I suspect that if they wanted to Axiom could enter this space of tiny, high quality digital amps in some way at a better price point, perhaps integrated into more of a system. But even if they don't, Topping has it covered quite well.

Recommended.

Thanks for all the input.